Court Leader's Advantage

A Question of Ethics: A Conversation on Courts and EthicsNovember 20th, 2025Across America, many communities are in what scholars call “legal deserts,” areas with few, if any, available attorneys to meet the legal needs of local citizens. Rural towns and poorurban neighborhoods often lack affordable access to lawyers, leaving residents without practical guidance for solving their legal problems. This shortage frustrates individuals seeking justice, and undermines confidence in the justice system itself.  It widens the gap between those who can afford representation and those who cannot. To help bridge this gap, a few states (for example, Utah, Alaska, and now Oregon), are experimenting with using non-attorney legal advocates. These are trained professionals, often known as Community Justice Workers, who work under the guidance of a practicing attorney. Others, in Arizona for example, are called Certified Community Legal Advocates. They are untethered from a practicing lawyer. These non-attorney advocates can